Capitol Sunlight: A citizen’s guide to lawmaking and lobbying in Colorado
If you were able to tip up the gold dome of the Colorado Capitol and peer inside, the policymaking during the legislative session would look like organized chaos. And it’s hard to see how average voters can get their voices heard.
This is where The Colorado Sun wants to help. For the 2019 legislative session, we are launching Capitol Sunlight, where we pull back the curtain to demystify the state’s lawmaking process and help residents become more engaged.
Over the next 120-day term, we’ll shine our reporting light on the politics, people and policy at the state Capitol and offer avenues for everyone to get involved.
Read more below and check back often for more stories. And, most importantly, we want to hear from you. Tell us what you want to know — and we’ll work to find answers, whether it’s explaining the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights or questioning lawmakers about a particular bill. More details on how to connect with us below.
— John Frank, The Colorado Sun
A guide to lawmaking and lobbying in Colorado
Lawmaking doesn’t have to be a mysterious process. And you can be a part of it! In our guide, we offer the details on what you need to know to get your voice heard in the Colorado lawmaking process, according to conversations with dozens of legislators, lobbyists and policy experts.
Top 10 issues to watch in Colorado’s 2019 legislative session
Colorado lawmakers will focus on everything from oil and gas and health care to education and immigration during the legislative session.
Jared Polis Promise Tracker
During his 2018 campaign, Jared Polis made a lot of promises to voters, and we’re tracking his progress on them.
>> See the Promise Tracker here.
Colorado politics, annotated
Sometimes, a politician’s words don’t have all the context you need to understand them. We’re launching a regular series of annotated speeches and documents to help provide in-line context to important political speech.
Latest annotated posts
- Gov. Jared Polis unveils ambitious, expensive plans in first State of the State. Here’s the speech, annotated.
- KC Becker outlines aggressive agenda in her opening remarks. Here’s the new Colorado House speaker’s speech, annotated.
- Leroy Garcia’s opening remarks are notable for what he didn’t mention. Here’s the Colorado Senate president’s speech, annotated.
We want your questions about how lawmaking works in Colorado
The legislative process is complicated, and we know that you may have questions we haven’t addressed here. So send us your questions below (no question is too small or too basic) and we’ll work to get answers posted throughout the session.
The latest Colorado Sun politics stories
- The government shutdown is taking a toll on wildfire preparations across the West
- Gov. Polis says the federal shutdown isn’t impacting Colorado’s state budget — but that could quickly change
- Jared Polis has 208 options to lower your taxes. But it’ll be harder than you may think.
- Gov. Polis prioritizes education in first budget request, but Democratic lawmakers are skeptical
- U.S. Forest Service has built a wild horse pen that could allow it to sell the animals for slaughter
- Pueblo is about to elect its first mayor in decades. Will this be the solution the city is looking for?
- Officials want to keep drones away from Colorado wildfires. But how do you halt something you can’t see?
- Colorado Supreme Court sides with oil and gas in major ruling on environmental regulations
- New law to keep Colorado foster kids in their home schools is off to disappointing start
- Federal workers in Jefferson County file one-fourth of Colorado’s 1,642 shutdown unemployment claims
- Arizona lawmakers under pressure to approve seven-state Colorado River drought plan before federal deadline
- Gov. Jared Polis unveils ambitious, expensive plans in first State of the State. Here’s the speech, annotated.